2017-10-18: Bayern Munich 3-0 Celtic, European Cup

Trivia

• Champions League 2017-18, Group Stages
• Matchday 3
• Celtic draw Group B – Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Anderlecht
• Celtic remain third, PSG defeated Anderlecht 4-0. Anderlecht bottom ten goals conceded no goals.
• Jupp Heynckes has taken over as head coach of Bayern Munich for the fourth time. Bayern sacked their manager day after Matchday 2 game (3-0 lose away to PSG).
• Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery missed the Champions League group clash with Celtic after limping out of the 2-2 draw with Hertha Berlin at the weekend.
• Jozo Simunovic has been revealed to have a tear in his hamstring – an injury which could rule him out for between six to eight weeks.
• Celtic supporters took up what seemed to be 1/3 of the ground, and were praised. Fabulous atmosphere.
• Criminal proceedings have been opened into Paris St-Germain's chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi by Swiss prosecutors. The proceedings are connected to an ongoing investigation into former Fifa secretary general Jerome Valcke, and relate to the sale of World Cup TV rights to BeInSports, of which Al-Khelaifi is chief executive.
• Celtic have the wrong manager in charge if they want someone to park the bus, insists Brendan Rodgers. The Northern Irishman has vowed not to change his philosophy and tactics as his side attempt to make progress in the Champions
• League.Rodgers was criticised for his tactics in Munich on Wednesday night but remains defiant about his gameplans.
• “Celtic will have “no chance” of getting a result away to Bayern Munich in the Champions League”, according to former Scotland boss Berti Vogts.
• Bayern Munich star Thiago
believes Celtic are on the same level as a top English
team (said before this game).
• Former Italy boss Cesare Prandelli is set to apply for the Scotland job, according to reports.
• The Celtic team that defeated Inter Milan 2-1 in the European Cup final in 1967 has been inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame. Surprising it wasn’t done before, even on day 1.
• Broadcaster and writer Archie Macpherson's contribution to Scottish football was also marked at the event as he too was inducted. A genuinely well deserved honour.
• Celtic's 11 top-flight rivals from last season will receive around £375,000 each thanks to them reaching the Champions League group stage.
• European football governing body Uefa will make the 'solidarity payment' of £4m on Thursday.
• Sevco boss Pedro Caixinha has backed proposals to radically redraw football rules and have games played over two 30-minute halves with the clock only ticking when the ball is in play.

Review

"Is it possible to hire the 'crazy' Celtic Supporters?"
Munich Newspaper (Oct 2017)

(Walter S of KDS)

So many things tonight.

Firstly I'll level it all by saying I don't expect us to get results against Bayern Munich away from home, they are a wonderful side who on there day are top 4 in Europe (and by default the world). They changed their manager at exactly the wrong time for us.

What I will say is I expect Celtic to give ourselves the best possible chance. I expect Celtic to use the resources we have available to fully back the manager in his lofty ambitions of signing a centre half. Ambitions he has held since January. Just give us a chance. Don't constantly be 1 or 2 injuries from Lustig or Bitton at centre half. Tonight it was Lustig which put our best choice right back out of position and left us hopelessly exposed on the right. Would a centre half have got us a result ? Likely not. Would a centre half have given us the best possible chance ? 100% and that is all we can ask. We didn't have that tonight and it hopelessly exposed us.

The game itself man by man starting from the back:

Craig Gordon is an utter liability. Good shot stopper but name me a goalie that isn't. His kicking put is under so much pressure tonight, it was horrendous. Priority position for me in January – a keeper that is comfortable on the ball and comfortable with giving his defence a bollocking. He's too timid.

Boyata was excellent I thought and saved us from a true horsing. Won't be too critical of Lustig, he's not a centre half. It's not his fault he's being played there. Gamboa is someone I'd have played tonight personally and thought he was excellent on Saturday. Hopelessly exposed and had nowhere near enough support added to the fact that defensively he's poor. Tierney is young and will learn but my god he is an utter panic merchant on the ball and like Gordon at times his distribution put us under the kosh. Defensively thought he kept Robben relatively quiet so hard to criticise.

Midfield thought Scott Brown was excellent. Cross field passing at times was superb, kept it simple when he had to. Ntcham ? Far from convinced, timid, looked like he had trampolines on his feet at times. At other times he had excellent touches and looked a player. Passing seemed a bit erratic. The game passed Armstrong by – if we are going to play him he has to occupy the space Rogic does if only to get us 5-10 yards further up the park. If he's not in there he's a wasted jersey imo.

Scott Sinclair to me might be a luxury player in Europe at times. If he's not being told to defend narrowly (which tbh I'd be amazed if he wasn't as its blatantly obvious to see) then he should be getting a bollocking because he provides no cover to Tierney. If he's being told to play like that then Rodgers needs to wake up because that's 2 games in a row. Ffs Roberts offered more defensive support. Going forward I thought Sinclair did look a wee bit dangerous at times but seems a bit scared to utilise his pace. Roberts our most dangerous player and thought he did put in a shift but still left Gamboa too exposed. I'd have played Forrest personally but hey ho.

Griffiths. A primary 4 that has found himself playing in amongst the primary 7s. Offered absolutely nothing in the way of hold up play which is vital for us expecially if floof baws in goals chooses to lump it in the general direction of our lone striker. Time he was dropped, he's been poor for weeks for Celtic.

There's a place for Tom Rogic and Moussa Dembele in this team in games like this for me. Rogic offers you an option which bridges between midfield and striker. Dembele gives you a chance of holding the ball up. Thought Forrest was dangerous when he came on. Personally think maybe we can only accommodate one of Sinclair or Roberts with the other wide player being Forrest in games like this when we are under pressure.

Again Rodgers has said we won't be scared. To me tonight we looked overawed from the first minute. If we are going to apply a press, the full team has to get involved. One or two trying to do it whilst the rest sit off there men is criminal. Either press and fully apply it or set up like Lennon used to in Europe in games like this and absorb pressure by being compact.

Disappointing night, but to be expected. I'm more disappointed that we didn't give ourselves the best possible chance that we could. Still this game is a freebie, looked like a great trip for the fans and we have a massive game on Saturday.

(Canneolli of KDS)
As I say often, you can spin it how you like.

The performance in itself was nowhere near good enough, we lost 3-0 and it was a convincing loss. I think that is the main point in the whole discussion. Brendan obviously wants us to play are certain style of football and we are reaping the rewards of this domestically and in Europe to a certain level.( Qualifying for the Champions League in successive years). Man City at home was a high point last year as well as away at Gladbach and this year we have had a great win against Anderlecht. Last year we were disappointing at home to Gladbach and this year we have been poor at home to PSG and again last night.

Sport at a high level is tough and a better opponent will always exploit your weaknesses, I play a game at a decent level and when people see me play they think im good but in reality i am average at best when playing at the top level. It is so hard to play your top game when someone is putting you under massive pressure when you make a mistake and on top of that your opponent is good in his own right. Unforced errors increase and you feel under pressure a lot. When you play someone at a lesser level it easier to stamp your mark on the game and you get confidence from being the better player as well. When I play the top players I could change up my game but I play my attacking style but rarely will it show up in a big game apart from occasional glimpses, but I will stick to my principles as its how I want to play the game. The best players play it that way and I try to learn from playing the best and learn from my mistakes and keep improving. Will I ever be good enough to beat the best? unfortunately not.

Anyway the point im trying to make is, Brendan has his style and I think his style is the right way to play football. We are just into our second season of his 5 years project, we are playing at a very high level domestically against inferior opponents yes, but the manner in which we are winning and the consistency we are showing is not an easy thing to do. Yes we are coming up short at the very highest level of European football, but there was a lot of positives last night and we are making progress. We might never be able to compete with the top teams, but we are trying to bridge the gap playing the game the Celtic way.

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Bayern Munich 3 – 0 Celtic: Brendan Rodgers’ men outclassed
A dispirited Mikael Lustig as Bayern Munich celebrate the opening goal. Picture: Getty
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/bayern-munich-3-0-celtic-brendan-rodgers-men-outclassed-1-4590614

Andrew Smith

Published: 21:37 Wednesday 18 October 2017
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Champions League nights are forever presented as occasions to be embraced by Celtic but their flailing in the Allianz was another evening in the competition simply to be endured by the Scottish champions.
Brendan Rodgers spoke pre-match about his team’s duty to show the nerve to play their own game in the exalted company provided by Bayern Munich in an effort to avoid another heavy defeat by one of the elite members of the European game. In the past 14 months Celtic have lost 5-0 against Paris Saint-Germain and 7-0 against Barcelona.
But the utterly predictable one-sided nature of the contest was not down to some dereliction on the part of his players, so much as deficit in talent compared to their Bavarian hosts. Their movement and power, even amidst some wastefulness in possession, was all too much for Rodgers’ side, who were fortunate that the scoring did not assume the proportions of these other lancings. Two goals down inside 28 minutes to efforts from Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich, Bayern missed a raft of second-half opportunities after going 3-0 ahead in the 50th minute thanks to Mats Hummels.
Never is the chasm in quality Celtic cannot bridge more cruelly exposed in the Champions League domain than in the defensive department. Another makeshift backline made for an impossible shift for those within it. In truth, it is doubtful it would have made much difference had Jozo Simunovic had been fit enough to partner Dedryck Boyata. Yet it certainly didn’t help Celtic’s cause that Mikael Lustig had to be detailed to do that job, which meant Cristian Gamboa filling the right-back berth vacated by the Swede.
It was painful to watch the Costa Rican, in only his second start of the season, corkscrewing as he attempted to deal with Kingsley Coman. He strived manfully to avoid constantly seeing the back of the Frenchman but he’ll probably be picturing the winger’s no.29 even when he closes his heavy lids later tonight.
There is no reason to expect Celtic to be able to live with any “superclub”, as Rodgers called a monied Munich side with pretensions to win the trophy. And one with vigour renewed following the return of Jupp Heynckes, the club’s go-to manager who was in the technical area for a Champions League outing for the first time since leading the club to victory in the final weeks of his third spell four years ago. Never mind that they were on a 10-game winning run in the group stages in their epic 70,000 arena that is all bells and whistles and more bells, the pre-match razzmatazz that amounted to a riot of colour and noise that would have been befitting of a concert by one of those soft rock stadium-fillers which the Germans seem to so beloved.
Instead, it was a soft touch of an opponent that provided the entertainment because for all that Bayern are operating many levels above Celtic, the Glasgow side did nothing to make Bayern extend themselves to pick off goals. It was only Arjen Robben, making his 100th appearance in the competition, that they had any real joy in frustrating. Clearly desperate to bag a goal as he brought up his century, he was deprived when Gamboa threw himself across the goal-line to block a header from the Dutchman.
Such body-on-the-line moments were too few as Bayern seemed to find space in the final third with alarming ease. The warnings were there before an opener that followed from Robert Lewandowski drifting into a different timezone from a static Lustig and Boyata to meet a Joshua Kiimmich chip from right-hand channel. A low header brought a superb one-handed hand save down to his left from Craig Gordon – who made a series of notable stops across the evening – only for the rebound to be drilled in by Muller.
The second came when Coman had Gamboa revolving like a spinning top before hanging up a cross that Kimmich attack at edge of the box to head powerfully into top left hand corner with precision and ease. The third goal was another of utter simplicity with Hummels run and jump to head in a Robben corner a training ground manoeuvre nonchalance about it. There was little in the way of the physicality or aggression sought by Rodgers but there was some sort of token resistance with Scott Sinclair and late substitutes Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic ensuring there was goalmouth action that provided the possibility that a consolation could be registered. Sinclair, indeed, had the ball in the net only for his strike to be ruled out for offside – Bayern having two ‘goals’ that met this fate.
The Champions League contest Celtic are in does not involve the Munich, who will be at Celtic Park in fortnight for the return, or PSG but is between them and Anderlecht. And thanks to their 3-0 win in Brussels last month, at the halfway stage of the group campaign, and with the Belgians pointless, that is at least one they are in a position to prosper in.
What the German newspapers are saying about Bayern Munich 3-0 Celtic
Craig Gordon punches the ball as Thomas Muller, Olivier Ntcham and Dedryck Boyata look on. Picture: AFP/Getty Images
CRAIG FORBES
Published: 14:44 Thursday 19 October 2017
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/what-the-german-newspapers-are-saying-about-bayern-munich-3-0-celtic-1-4591271
Germany’s newspapers contain a lot of post-match coverage and analysis following Bayern Munich’s 3-0 win over Celtic at the Allianz Arena last night. Here’s a quick look at what the German media are saying…
A match report in the Munich-based publication Suddeutsche Zeitung suggested that the game wasn’t a stern test for Bayern, with manager Jupp Heynckes bemoaning the number of chances that his players passed up.
However, the paper’s football writers singled out Patrick Roberts for particular praise, describing his performance as ‘courageous’ while also highlighting Cristian Gamboa’s torrid time against both David Alaba and Kingsley Coman.
A preview of the game in daily tabloid Bild said that ‘realistically, [Celtic] are only candidates for the Europa League – unless they can pull off a surprise in the Allianz Arena.
“Due to the lack of serious competition in the Scottish Premiership, Celtic are not a European heavyweight, but have a great deal of quality in their squad.”
Leigh Griffiths was described as having a ‘thankless task up front’ while Stuart Armstrong ‘played quite well in midfield’.
Zeit’s online report said that ‘Bayern’s dominance gave Celtic no chance’ while Abendzeitung also went with Heyncke’s criticism of his team despite the 3-0 win: “We have to be bright and defensive from the first to the last minute.”
Berliner Morgenpost headlined their match report: “Bayern win with ease over Celtic,” adding that Celtic were ‘lucky that [the scoreline] wasn’t higher’.
Spiegel journalist Marco Fuchs highlighted the ‘unequal duel’ between ‘the unfortunate Cristian Gamboa’ and Kingsley Coman while the publication’s match report labelled Celtic ‘harmless visitors from Glasgow’.
The Local focused on events away from the match, highlighting disgruntled Munich residents complaining about the mess Celtic fans had left in Marienplatz.
According to Suddeutsche Zeitung, around 10,000 Celtic fans were expected to travel to the city for the match but only around half that number had tickets for the game.
Focus carried quotes from Heynckes: “It was important to get back on track in the Champions League but in the second half we became a bit careless.
“Celtic had a few chances, and we still have to improve a lot.”
Sport1 had reaction from former Bayern Munich captain Lothar Matthaus, who said that the matches against Freiburg and Celtic were what Bayern needed after their defeat to PSG.
The ex-Germany international said: “The two games came at just the right time for Bayern. Freiburg [are struggling] in the Bundesliga and Celtic are also a beatable team.”
Moira Gordon: Celtic far from equal to latest European challenge
The gulf between Brendan Rodgers' side and the rest in Scotland is small beer compared with the chasm on view in Munich last night. Picture: Getty. http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/celtic/moira-gordon-celtic-far-from-equal-to-latest-european-challenge-1-4590699
Before kick-off in the Allianz Arena the players and officials all lined up to promote Uefa’s #equalgame 
initiative, a campaign aimed at promoting inclusion, diversity and accessibility in football throughout Europe. The fact is there was little equality once the whistle sounded and the Champions League action got underway.
And, as the match progressed, the chances of Brendan Rodgers’ men being granted access to the premier European club competition beyond the group stage began to dwindle.
Celtic possibly showed their hosts too much respect as the vulnerabilities and doubts that have often 
crippled them on continental away days returned to burden them.
It had been hoped that the away win in Belgium, against Anderlecht, had dislodged that particular monkey from their back. It had left them sitting level with Bayern Munich in Group B and fostered hope in the 4,000-odd Celtic fans in the ground, and the thousands more watching at home, that, maybe, just maybe, they could upgrade their ambitions.
Bayern Munich are a side who have struggled, in relative terms. Two losses in 12 games at the start of their season was deemed unacceptable, demonstrating the level of expectation. That offered Scotland’s dominant force a glimmer of light and there was the suggestion that a draw would allow them to aim beyond the Europa League and 
look at progressing to the knockout stage of the Champions League instead.
But, if they started the game level on points, with similar hopes, the battle was not contested on a level playing field – with the gap between Celtic and the rest of the Scottish clubs small beer compared to the gulf in finances and quality between them and their German hosts – and that was soon reflected in the 
performances and scoreline.
Things that may seem easy on home turf, where domestic resistance has proved futile for over a season, were more difficult with the likes of Arjen Robben and Kingsley Coman running at a makeshift defence and Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller using their class and ability to pile on the pressure and give the rattled Christian Gamboa and Co a night they will want to forget.
Celtic just couldn’t get a foothold in the match and failing to engineer even one shot on target in the first half left them in unfamiliar territory. Two goals down by the interval, courtesy of Muller and Joshua Kimmich, they will have pondered the right approach as they returned for the second half; sit in and keep things respectable or go for it and risk a repeat of the spanking they received from PSG.
In the end they were unable to challenge yet unwilling to collapse. By the time they made up their minds to have a go, throwing on Tom Rogic and James Forrest, and Kieran Tierney’s shot grazed the post in the 70th minute and Scott Sinclair and Rogic both had efforts minutes later, they were already another goal behind and Bayern had eased off enough to permit the odd advance.
According to the Uefa #equalgame webpage, everyone “should be able to enjoy football, no matter who you are, where you’re from or how you play. That’s Equal Game”. But, in certain circumstances, particularly on the Champions League stage, Celtic were served a punishing reminder that there are times when who you are, where you’re from and how you play does matter.

Celtic fans hailed by Munich police for behaviour during Champions League trip

The German police were delighted with how Celtic fans acted before and after the match.

Record Sport Online
17:29, 20 OCT 2017Updated17:46, 20 OCT 2017

Celtic fans have been praised by Munich police for their behaviour during their midweek Champions League game.

Hoops supporters travelled to Germany in their thousands to back their side as they were beaten 3-0 by Bayern.

The Bundesliga champions may have been victorious on the park but the Celtic faithful earned plenty of praise for their performance off the pitch.

Munich police were impressed with Celtic and their followers before and after the match. Goals from Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Mats Hummels were too much for the Premiership leaders but that didn't stop a vocal backing throughout the 90 minutes.

Bayern Munich also tweeted their praise of Celtic fans by tweeting: "You're welcome back any time".

In a statement on the club's website, Celtic said: "Celtic would like to thank our fans for their support of the team, as always, and the club is also looking forward to welcoming Bayern Munich fans to Paradise on October 31."

Munich praise for Celtic supporters after UCL tie

BBC

By Tom English

BBC Scotland at the Allianz Arena

From the section Football 449

Bayern Munich players celebrate
Bayern Munich were in excellent form under Jupp Heynckes, who took over for a third time last week

Celtic endured a European night to forget as they were swept aside by Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Thomas Muller blasted in the opener from close range after Craig Gordon saved a header from Robert Lewandowski, who was afforded far too much space.

Joshua Kimmich's perfectly placed header from Kingsley Coman's delivery made it 2-0.

Mats Hummels nodded in the third after the break for a Bayern side that passed up a number of excellent chances.

Celtic are third in Group B after three games, three points clear of bottom side Anderlecht, who lost 4-0 at home to Paris St-Germain.
Thomas Muller celebrates
Thomas Muller crashed in the opener for Bayern Munich from close range

Celtic were a defensive shambles for much of the night and the mess at the back started as early as the first minute when a Kimmich corner came worryingly close to being turned in by Muller. That was a warning – and there were others.

The Germans had a goal disallowed moments later, then they had a clear penalty waved away by referee Sergei Karasev. That was a huge break for the visitors given that Mikael Lustig quite obviously pulled Lewandowski's shirt as the Pole sped away from him.

Lustig was playing centre-half in place of the injured Jozo Simunovic, with his own place at right-back filled by Cristian Gamboa.

The patchwork nature of the defence raised, again, the old issue of why Brendan Rodgers did not sign an established centre-half in the summer. That decision came back to hurt him at the Allianz Arena.

Gamboa had a wretched time trying to handle Coman. In the opening half, every time the French winger got one-on-one with the Celtic man he skinned him and caused mayhem.

It was no surprise when the opener came and no surprise either that defensive calamity was at the heart of it.
Joshua Kimmich scores
Joshua Kimmich scored the second with a wonderful header from 15 yards

The wonderful Kimmich dinked a ball into Celtic's penalty area, over the unaware Lustig and on to Lewandowski's head. Gamboa stood idly by as the striker headed on goal, Gordon making a fine save low to his right. Muller was first to the loose ball, driving it high into Celtic's net.

The second came just before the half-hour, Coman going by Gamboa and crossing for Kimmich, all alone, to brilliantly guide his header into the top right hand corner of Gordon's net. The Celtic goalkeeper had to beat away a Lewandowski shot a minute later.

Celtic were panic-ridden. Their use of the little amount of ball they got was abject, player after player being spooked into giving it away cheaply.

Rodgers had stated on the eve of the match that Celtic would have to be resilient and confident. They also needed to be pragmatic, They weren't. They were innocent. Easy prey.

Bayern scored their third six minutes into the second half, a routine goal from a corner after Gordon put his own defence under pressure with an unwise pass to an under pressure Scott Brown.

Celtic struggled to handle Bayern's corners all evening. This one was put in by Arjen Robben and glanced in by Hummels. From another corner, 10 minutes later, Robben's header had to be kicked off the line by Gamboa.
Mats Hummels scores for Bayern Munich
Mats Hummels powered a header home after the break to make it 3-0

Rodgers made two substitutions – Moussa Dembele came on in a belated attempt at creating the kind of out-ball that Leigh Griffiths couldn't offer. Tom Rogic also appeared in place of the ineffective Stuart Armstrong.

They had a couple of moments soon after; Kieran Tierney forcing a save from Sven Ulreich and Scott Sinclair and Rogic forcing two more just after. James Forrest came on and Ulreich made a save from him, too.

Sinclair had the ball in Bayern's net, but Celtic were denied even a crumb of consolation when the offside flag went up.

Bayern had lost their urgency by then. They coasted in the closing minutes, albeit Muller would have added a fourth had it not been for a fine save by Gordon. They were hardly distraught at the miss. Their work was well and truly done.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will not change side's approach despite defeat

By Alasdair Lamont

BBC Scotland at the Allianz Arena

From the section Football

Lots of positives for Celtic – Rodgers

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will not compromise his style of play despite another heavy Champions League defeat.

Celtic were brushed aside 3-0 by Bayern Munich in Germany on Wednesday night.

The visitors were two down by half-time and could have conceded more than the three they did, before a late rally.

"I'd rather lose playing how we want to play and how we want to work as opposed to sit in and defending for 90 minutes and still lose if that's the case," the Celtic manager said.

Asked whether a more pragmatic approach might have served Celtic better in terms of containing Bayern, he added: "We decide how we play.
Mats Hummels scores
Mats Hummels scored Bayern Munich's third goal from another ball into the box

"There was nothing about being pragmatic for the goals we conceded. We didn't defend our box well enough from crosses coming in – we can do better with those.

"Myself and my staff and the players had a plan going into the game and there was lots of positives for us and something to look forward to for the second game at Celtic Park."

Celtic, who followed a 5-0 home loss to Group B leaders Paris St-Germain with a 3-0 win at Anderlecht, sit third above the Belgians, who are yet to get off the mark.

While the Scottish champions do have the chance to avenge this one-sided loss in front of their own fans in two weeks' time, Rodgers conceded that would not be achieved easily.

"You need to be realistic, you need to respect who we're playing against and of course we want to be competitive at this level but you also have to measure the level and the quality you're playing against," he added.

"The players gave absolutely everything tonight. This is a really honest group of men, who domestically have been amazing.

"To qualify for this competition was a huge ask and progress for us is to be in Europe after Christmas and that's still our aim and our focus. But of course in every game we play, we want to give of our best."
Joshua Kimmich goal
Craig Gordon was left helpless as Joshua Kimmich nodded in Bayern's second

Celtic were short of their best for the bulk of this match, with Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich and Mats Hummels on target for the hosts, but Rodgers sought to accentuate what positives there were, having seen his side create some chances late on.

"There was still a lot for us in the game, particularly in the second half – how we built the game from behind and tried to play how we like to work, to create our chances," he said.

"There's no denying we were playing against a top-class side but we feel we could be better with the goals we conceded and with some of our build-up play.

"For this group, it's about constructing a mindset and a way of working. It's not going to happen overnight.

"It's constant experience but there was enough in the game for me to see the players are improving and it's something we're developing over the coming years hopefully."

Celtic: Brendan Rodgers says Champions League 'disappointment' is gone

By Rhona McLeod

BBC Scotland

From the section Football

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rodgers says Celtic are focusing on securing their place in the League Cup final
Scottish League Cup semi-final – Celtic v Hibernian
Venue: Hampden Park Date: Saturday, 21 October Kick-off: 12:15 BST
Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Scotland, live text commentary on BBC Sport website & app

Brendan Rodgers insists "all the disappointment is gone" from Celtic's Champions League defeat as they target a place in the League Cup final.

Celtic lost 3-0 to Group B opponents Bayern Munich and return to domestic matters and a semi-final against Hibernian at Hampden on Saturday.

Rodgers said his Celtic side have demonstrated they can bounce back from European losses.

And the Celtic manager expects "a tight game, a tough game" at Hampden.

"We got back in the early hours of Thursday morning so the boys had a free day yesterday to recover," he said.

"It's not a new situation for us. It's about preparing the best you can physically and mentally; come tomorrow the players will be ready.

"They have got this real determination and it's something we will take into the game.

"We go with an aggressive, positive mindset and we hope we have the game model to get us a victory.

"If you look back to last year's semi-finals and finals, we played very well. We played with composure and confidence in the pressure situations."

In defence of the trophy, Rodgers chooses from the same squad, with defenders Jozo Simunovic, Erik Sviatchenko and Anthony Ralston still missing through injuries.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers picked up the League Cup last season as Celtic completed an unprecedented unbeaten treble

Simunovic did not travel to Germany after the recurrence of a hamstring problem.

"It's a repeat of what he had before, so he's probably out for a few weeks but I'll get more detail on that today," said Rodgers, who played Mikael Lustig at centre-half against Bayern and used Cristian Gamboa at right-back.
'The players are on the right track'

Gamboa was given a torrid time on Wednesday as Rodgers stuck with his usual 4-2-3-1 system against the five-time champions of Europe.

In the wake of a one-sided defeat, the manager was adamant that he would not change his approach and he touched on the topic again.

He explained: "As a manager, what you learn, especially with experience, is that if you ever go down, go down with your own vision. Not with someone else's.

"People say park the bus or be pragmatic. We tried that in Barcelona. We lost 7-0.

"It's not how I work. We have an idea of how we play which is first and foremost fundamentally an aggressive way to defend.

"If you look at the competitions, we defend well, we press well. But of course if you are playing against that level of quality, at times that quality can open you up.

"But for us it's just about progress. The players are on the right track.

"First half, we didn't have as many attacking moments as we would have liked. But the players grew into the game and in the last 30 minutes they showed the confidence, if you play that way, you can still create opportunities.

"We reflect on that and we move on."